Emulsifying mill



W. A. MCLEAN EMULSIFYING MILL March 6, 1945..

Original Filed March 5l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet` 1 March-6, 1945- w. A. MCLEAN Y $370,978

, EMULSIFYIFNG MILL Originai Filed March 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1945 A. McLean, Geneva, N. Y., assigner 4to Geneva Processes, Inc., Geneva, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1941, Serial No. 396,336, which is a division oft application Serial No. 183,549, January 5, 1938, which is'a division of application Serial No. 71,932, March 31, 1936. Divided and this application June 2, 1943, SerialV No.

5 Claims. l(Q1. 259-9) This invention relates to mixing devices, and more particularly to devices for mixing emulsions such as mayonnaise, salad dressings and insecticides. 1

The present application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 396,336, nled June 2, 1941, which is a division of Serial No. 183,549, January 5, 1938, now Patent 2,248,886, dated July 8, 1941, which is a division of Serial No. `71,932, filed March 31, 1936, now Patent 2,125,455, dated August 2, 1938. I

An object of this invention is to provide a mix-v ing device capable of rapidly producing a colloid or mixture of the desired homogeneity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a high speed mill which is simple in construction and which may readily be adjusted to produce a product having the desired characteristics. ,l

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mixing device having a mixing chamber into which a rotor extends, the rotor being composed of segments of progressively increasing size.V

A further object of this'invention is to provide a mixing device having a ,mixing chamber into which a. rotor extends, the rotor being provided with means which serve to give the material a beating before it leaves the mill.

With these and other objects in view,` thisin-f vention embraces broadly the concept of provid--` ing a mill having a mixing chamber and a rotor extending into the chamber, the mixing chamber beingprovided with means to feed the material which is to be mixed in a small stream upon the center of the rotor surface. v

. In the forms of the invention shownthe rotor isprovidedwith .means by which the material entering the mill is subjected to a preliminary beating before it passes between the rotor and stator surfaces. -A Y ,The means for feeding the material into the millisimportant because it enables the stator surface` to be covered with the incoming material without danger of overloading the mill, andthe beating of the material eliminates the necessity` of thoroughly mixing the materials before they are introduced to the mill and also eliminates the possibility ofthe ingredients separating during the mixing process. These and other advantages will be subsequently described in more complete datan. Y

' If desired, interlacing disturbing elements, such as interrupting circular vanes or pins such as disclosed in my Patent No. 2,248,886, dated 'July 8, 1941, may be used in connection with the mills disclosedin this application. l 4

In the drawings: l Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken along line 2,-,2 of

Figure 1, looking in the direction of'the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectionalview showing the rotor and statorconstruction of another form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing. the rotor and stator construction of a third form of the invention.

In order to illustrate the invention, three types of mixing chambers and one ltype of rotor have been shown in the drawings, all of which are capable of carrying out the principal objects of the invention. All of the types of mixing chambers disclosed may be interchangeably mounted on the mill supporting structure disclosed in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the supporting structure, generally designated by the numeral'l, is provided with a base 2 which is supported by the end plate 3 of an electric motor and carries a supporting structure 4. l

The mill structure l is also provided with an inclined surface 5 positioned intermediate a pair of side walls which combiney with the inclined surface 5 to form achute 6. converge at the foot of the inclined surface 5 to form a discharge spout 1. l

The front of the chute B is partially 'closedy by a splash plate 8 which is held in positionby knurled nuts s which are adapted to ,engage threaded studs l0 carried by the member l. 'I'he inclined surface 5 is also'provided with jackets Il through which steam or a cooling liquid may v;

be passed if desired.

kThe shaft` I2 of at I3 to a shaft Mawhich drives a rotor member l5.` The shaft I4 is journalled as indicated at I6 l and IT in a sleeve I8 which forms a part ofthe support structure l extending into the chute 6.

The upper portion of the support l denes an aperture I9 above the periphery of which a collar 20, held inposition by cap screws 2|, is mounted. The Shanks of cap screws 2lA pass through apertures -in the ange of the collar 20. These apertures are of a larger diameter thanv the shanks of the screws 2l'to permit relative movement of the collar 20 with respect to the screws 2|. Ad-v justing bolts` 22, carried by brackets 23 which are mounted on supporting structure l, aiiord means whereby the collar 20 may be -adjusted centrally with respect to the rotolshaft I4. The` upper portion of the vcollar20 is exteriorly threaded'and The` side walls the electric motor lis coupled series of superposed frusto-conical sections having at upper surfaces and sloping sides,l the upper surface of each section defining the smaller diameter of the frusto-cone, and the sloping sides of each section forming an acute angle with the wall of the chamber, whereby a substantial clear-` ance is provided between the upper portion of each sectionof the rotor and the wall of the chamber which progressively decreases towards the lower periphery of each section, the lower periphery of the bottom section forming a Working surface with the lower portion of the side wall. y

3. A mixing and emulsifying mill comprising a mixing chamber having an upper wall and a frusto-conical side wall, a rotor extending axially within the chamber, and an opening in the upper wall above the center portion of the rotor,

" said opening being of relatively small size with respect to the rotor, and said rotor comprising a pair of superposed frusta-conical sections having at upper surfaces and sloping sides, the upper surface of each section dening'the smaller diameter of the frusto-cone, and the sloping sides of each section forming an acute angle with the' wall of the chamber, whereby a substantial clearance is provided between the upper portion of each section of the rotor and the wall of the chamber which progressively decreases` towards the lower periphery of each section, -,the lower periphery of the bottom section forming ay working surface with the lower portion of the side wall. y

4. A mixing and emuls'ifying mill comprising a ber forming the tangential continuation of the hemispherically shaped rchamber having side walls, a rotor extending `axially within the chamber, and an opening in the mixing chamber above the center portion of the rotor, said opening being cof relatively small size with respect to the rotor, and said rotor comprising a'series of superposed frusto-conical sections' having flat upper surfaces and sloping sides, the upper surface of l each section defining the smaller diameter of the,`

frusto-confe, and the sloping sides of each seclcion forming an acute angle with the wallof the chamber, whereby a substantial clearance is provided between the upper portion ofeach section of the rotor'and the wall of the chamber which progressively decreases towards the lower periph# ery of each section, the lower periphery of the bottom section forming a workingsurface with the lower portion of the side wall.

5. A mixing and emulsifying mill comprising a mixing chamber, said lchamber having a substantially hemispherical wall defining its upper region and a cylindrical wall forming a tangential "continuation of the hemispherical wall and dening the lower region of said chamber, a rotor extending axially within the chamber, and an opening in the mixing chamber above the center portion of the rotor, said opening being of relatively small size with respect to the rotoi-and said rotor comprising a series of superposed frusto-conical sections having ilat upper surfaces and sloping sides, the upper'surface of each section defining the smaller diameter of the frusto-cone,

and the sloping sides of each section forming an acute angle with the walls of the chamben'whereby a substantial clearance'is provided between the upper portion of each section and the walls of the chamber which progressively decreases towards `the lower periphery of each section, the lower periphery of the bottom section forming a working surface withvthe lower wall of the chamhemispherical wall. l

` WILLIAMA MCLEAN. 

